The Pirates of Penzance
1983 • 112 min • Comedy · Music · Romance · Adventure
Synopsis
As a young child, Frederic had been apprenticed to a pirate by mistake when he should have been apprenticed to a pilot. Now, having reached his 21st year, Frederic's indentures are at last over and he happily leaves the service of the pirates. When Frederic meets the beautiful Mabel, one of the many daughters (or wards in Chancery) of Major-General Stanley, they fall in love and decide to marry. However, complications arise when the pirates decide to marry the rest of the Major-General's daughters, themselves - and Frederic's birthdate turns out to be not all it seems.
Our family guide
Best from age 6- 100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
- 60 Audience · 51 · 49%
Frederic, mistakenly apprenticed to pirates, leaves their service at 21 and falls in love with Mabel. Complications arise when the pirates decide to marry her sisters, and Frederic discovers a surprising twist about his birthdate. This colorful musical adventure features catchy songs and a whimsical plot.
- Violence & peril
- 1/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 0/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 1/10
- Scary moments
- 1/10
Heads up
- The film is a musical opera with extensive singing.
- Some humor involves playful wordplay and satire.
What it models well
- Love and loyalty
- Following your heart
- Finding your true path
Talk about it after
- What makes something truly right or wrong?
- Why is communication important in relationships?
- How do misunderstandings change situations?
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Pirates of Penzance. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
Rent
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At HomeBuy
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.
Top billed cast
Director: Wilford Leach • Crew: Wilford Leach
Trailers & clips
The Pirates of Penzance (1983) Official Trailer - Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury Musical HD
Reviewer notes
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersWe start off as a band of pirates approach the town, and the citizens all rush to seek shelter in buildings that are clearly made of canvas and greasepaint... I found that to be quite an useful introduction to this film version of Gilbert and Sullivan's 1870s operetta; it made it clear that this was going to be a stage version on film, rather than any attempt to recreate the story for the cinema.…
Fan reviews
Sign in to rate and reviewBe the first fan to review this.
Gallery
Details
- TMDB audience
- 6.0/10 (51)
- Age rating
- G
- Status
- Released
- Box office
- $694,497
- IMDb
- tt0086112
